The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black
by Face of Poe
Summary: Little missing bit after Dumbledore starts forming the Order of the Phoenix at the end of GoF. What happens when he first takes new Order members to Grimmauld place? They're a bit surprised...esp. Kingsley. Sets stage for Percy split wfamily. oneshot


**A/N: Hmm…a brand new, one-shot!!! A little filler chappie, if you will. This is my take on what happened when Dumbledore first revealed to some of the Order members, particularly Kingsley & Tonks, about Grimmauld Place and Sirius. So yeah…enjoy. Nothing monumental, just a little scene missing. ******** It also kind of sets up the split between Percy and his family.**

Disclaimer: All the characters and…well, everything…belongs to JK Rowling…bummer for us all…

Arthur Weasley wearily shut the door. It was late, much later than he usually returned home from work. When Bill had turned up, however, and urgently whispered his message from Dumbledore, he knew he had no time to lose. It was tricky work, finding reasonable excuses for talking to previously known supporters of Dumbledore, like Kingsley Shacklebolt and Emmeline Vance, as well as dangerous trying to recruit new members who seemed sensible enough to believe in You-Know-Who's return, such as a young auror, Nymphadora Tonks. All were given the same message: _Meet at the Burrow tomorrow morning at 8, don't tell a soul._

Dumbledore planned to excuse himself from Hogwarts in order to address the first wave of what would become the new Order of the Phoenix.

Arthur hung up his coat and walked in to the kitchen. Bill was dozing lightly at the table, head resting on folded hands. As far as he could ascertain, they were the only two family members present; Molly would undoubtedly stay the night with Harry and the younger of the Weasley children. Charlie had returned to Romania. Percy's whereabouts were unclear, however. He checked the clock, which indicated he was at work. When Arthur had left, however, Percy had not been in his office.

"Dad?" Bill muttered sleepily from the table. "It go alright?"

"Well as to be expected," Arthur sighed. "Where's your brother?"

"Perce? He received an owl a couple hours ago, said he had to rush to the Ministry. Didn't he come find you?" Bill asked in confusion.

"No," Arthur frowned, "I'm afraid he did not." He gazed helplessly around. "Maybe he returned to Hogwarts. We all have so much on our minds, p'raps it just slipped his mind to let us know."

But as he finished his sentence, the door creaked open behind him. He tensed and turned, but it was only his third son.

"Where have you been at this hour?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same," Percy replied somewhat testily, "by the looks of things, you just got in yourself."

"Well?" Bill said.

"I told you, I received an important owl. From the Minister."

"From the Minister himself?" Bill asked incredulously.

"Why?" Arthur asked quickly, urgently. "What did he want?"

"As a matter of fact," Percy replied pompously, "he was giving me a promotion."

"At midnight?"

"It seems," came the snub reply, "that the events which unfolded tonight at Hogwarts have unsettled Minister Fudge. He feels that, early as tomorrow, he will need as many heads and hands available as possible to sort out this rather…unpleasant business. I'm to report to his office at 7:30 sharp."

Bill threw Arthur a look of slight alarm which did not go unnoticed by his younger brother.

"In any case," Percy continued, "he wants to head off Dumbledore before he gets the whole country in an uproar over unsubstantiated rumors and lies from disturbed young wizards." His father and brother just stared at him blankly. "Well, I'm off to bed. Early day tomorrow!"

They waited until his footsteps disappeared up the stairs and they heard a door slam shut.

"This is bad," Bill said worriedly. "This is very bad."

SCENESCENESCENESCENESCENESCENESCENE

Percy left early for work. It was clear that he suspected what was going on, at least somewhat. Shortly after his departure, Molly returned from Hogwarts in order to prepare for the crowd which was to arrive in less than an hour.

"How's Harry?" Bill asked.

"Fine, fine," she murmured distractedly. "Poor boy finally got some rest. I hate to even imagine what he's going through right now. You-Know-Who returned, poor Cedric murdered right in front of him…" she broke off, her voice cracking with emotion. Arthur wrapped his arms comfortingly around his wife. "Where's Percy?" she suddenly asked.

"Work," Bill replied grimly.

"Well can't he come home? I want him here to hear what Dumbledore has to say. What's he doing working on a Saturday anyway?"

Arthur looked sadly at his wife. "I'm afraid we may have a problem, dear. Why don't we go talk about it in the other room while Bill finishes setting up…

Just moments later, Bill could hear his mother's screeching tones in response to what her husband told her about their third son. He became distracted, however, when the first knock sounded on the door. His parents ceased their heated conversation and Bill opened to door to reveal a tall black wizard.

"Ah, Kingsley, good of you to come," Arthur came hurrying back in to the room and he ushered Kingsley in to the sitting room. This is my oldest son, Bill; he's been in Egypt working for Gringotts for a while. Bill, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt, an auror."

They exchanged pleasantries and shook hands.

"Molly's upstairs freshening up," Arthur told Shacklebolt. "You know, Bill, Kingsley has been in charge of the investigation of Sirius Black since his escape nearly two years ago. He assures me they're making progress every day."

Kingsley snorted. "Hardly," he said in good humor. "Since his escape from Hogwarts last year, just minutes before he was to be given the Dementor's Kiss, the whole investigation has gone topsy-turvy. We were so close but then we start getting people reporting sightings in all kinds of strange places, none of them near Hogwarts or with any connection to Harry Potter at all. It's become a bit of a joke, really, around the Ministry. I don't think anyone really expects we'll find him at this point. I mean, if he can escape Azkaban _and_ from right under Dumbledore's nose…"

"Yeah," Bill agreed, "I can't imagine there'd be much hope at this point. It's just so strange…the desperation to kill Harry and then he just vanishes."

"The whole thing has been bizarre from the start," he was interrupted by the doorbell. Arthur stood to answer it. He continued his conversation with Bill. "He was in the Order the last time, you know."

"Oh, really?" Bill replied interestedly.

"Absolutely. Good man, good wizard, great friend to the Potters, or so it seemed at the time. It just never added up." He shrugged. "That's the dark side for you, I suppose."

A few moments later, Dumbledore entered the room. He smiled warmly at Kingsley, and Bill could see a few more witches and wizards in the hallway waiting.

"Arthur has informed me of your younger brother's potentially…compromising…situation," Dumbledore told Bill. "Because of this, I think we shall have to move in prematurely to a building I have been offered as Order headquarters. The Fidelius charm has already been placed upon it with me as its secret keeper."

"What building is it?" Arthur asked.

"A house of an Order member," Dumbledore explained. "I will explain more thoroughly when we are all congregated there. For now, however…"

He took a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Molly Weasley, who had reappeared from upstairs. On it was written:

'**The Headquarters of the order of the Phoenix is located at number 12 Grimmauld place.'**

He repeated this aloud for all present so they would have a place to apparate. One of the witches standing out in the hallway gave a start.

"Albus! Why on earth…?" he cut her off.

"Please trust me, Nymphadora, I will explain soon."

Molly stayed behind to direct the rest to the secret location. Everyone else apparated together. As they arrived, Kingsley tried desperately to remember why he knew the name Grimmauld Place.

"Never thought I'd have to see this place again," the same witch muttered as number 12 expanded slowly between numbers 11 and 13. Kingsley recognized her as a fairly new auror at the Ministry, a young witch named Nymphadora Tonks, just a few years out of Hogwarts herself. "Well, here goes nothin' I suppose," she murmured as the crowd walked in to the dark, silent foyer.

The place seemed deserted. "How about some light, Albus?" someone asked.

"The house will only obey a member of the family," Dumbledore explained, "until we can find a way to break through the spells placed upon it decades ago. Nymphadora?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"I believe that means you may command the house," he gestured politely.

"Oh…oh! Light!" she called. The corridor shone dimly. "Well," she shrugged sheepishly, "the family never liked me very much."

The place had a distinctly dark feeling to it. The heads of house-elves lining the walls only added to the feeling. They walked into a large room. "Exactly which family are we talking about here?" someone asked, a bit put-off.

Tonks tried her best for light again. As the room lit up, a tapestry covering an entire wall became visible.

"The Ancient and most Noble House of Black," Bill read. Suddenly, it clicked to Kingsley why he knew the name of Grimmauld Place- it had been the childhood home of Sirius Black.

A whole array of voices broke out at once, questioning and demanding answers on their presence in the home of a mass murderer. One, however, rose above the rest.

"You know, Remus and I tried to get that damn thing down for an hour last night," came a voice from behind the group. "We think my dear old mum must've put a permanent sticking charm on that blasted thing too."

Everyone turned. There, standing quite nonchalantly in the back of the room, eating an apple, was the most hunted wizard in Britain- Sirius Black.

"Hi, Tonksy," he grinned to his cousin. She stood, looking stunned. Most the others in the room pulled out wands and trained them on Sirius. He put up his hands in mock surprise.

"Hey," he said defensively, "I wasn't expecting you for another week, I'm sorry if the place isn't quite fixed up nice as you'd like."

"Put away your wands," Dumbledore ordered quietly. "Please." Most complied. Kingsley could not. He'd hunted this man for two years now, this man who used to be a friend before murdering his own best friends and twelve muggles.

"Kingsley," another voice sounded from behind Sirius. It was Remus Lupin. "He's innocent. Please…put it away."

Kingsley grudgingly lowered his wand but did not stash it away. He turned back to face Dumbledore. "What the hell is going on here, Albus?"

"I'm sorry, Kingsley," Dumbledore said, "but it's true. Peter Pettigrew was the traitor, not Sirius."

"Pettigrew's dead," Kingsley spat.

"No, he's far from it. He's in the employ of Lord Voldemort, as a Death Eater. And he's the one who helped him regain his body and full powers last night."

Tonks found this to be proof enough and rushed forward to hug her cousin whom she hadn't seen in some fourteen years.

"I don't believe it," Kingsley muttered.

"Believe it," a new voice broke in silkily. "I have affirmed it through some very…reliable…sources."

"Severus," Lupin acknowledged. Snape slinked in to the room behind the others and went to whisper hurriedly to Dumbledore. The others eyed Snape warily, despite Dumbledore's assurances. They all knew he had formerly been a Death Eater.

"Please," Dumbledore interrupted the new mutterings, "have a seat everyone. We will get started in a few minutes, once the last few have arrived." Arthur Weasley turned to Dumbledore however.

"Albus, what's Harry going to say?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

"Well, I'm the one who told him that Black was supposedly after him, and if he finds out…"

"Oh no, Arthur, you misunderstand!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "That situation has long been sorted out. In fact, Harry, Miss Granger, and your youngest son have been in contact with him for the past school year. I believe they even met up with him secretly in Hogsmeade one weekend. Believe me, Harry and his godfather are on quite good terms."

Arthur was stunned at this bit of information, especially the part about his son knowing the whereabouts of a long hunted criminal and not telling him and Molly.

Dumbledore turned to address the whole group. "I will give a better explanation soon about Sirius. This will be headquarters for the Order, however, so we shall have to learn to be friends.

Sirius went and sat between Tonks and Remus. Kingsley was on Tonks' other side.

"Everything okay?" Remus asked.

"Albus won't let me go back to Hogwarts," Sirius sulked.

"Back to Hogwarts?" Tonks asked her cousin.

"I want to be with Harry. He's hurt."

"I know, Sirius," Remus said in a soothing voice, "but you know it's too dangerous. With all the teachers and students, someone is bound to find out about you and then…"

"I know!" Sirius snapped. "Sorry," he said, "but I know. It's just…every time I think I might get to spend a little time with him…"

Remus put a sympathetic arm around his best friend, the remaining Marauder. Kingsley paid close attention to the entire exchange.

"I hate this place," Sirius sighed.

That was definitely the Sirius Black he knew and remembered.


End file.
